HCM City appraises 40 years of growth

Former President Nguyen Minh Triet and former Prime Minister Phan Van
Khai have joined top leaders of Ho Chi Minh City and other provinces,
scientists and researchers to review the city's development over the
past 40 years and discuss strategies and plan for the upcoming period.

The
seminar, titled "HCM City – 40 years of construction, development and
integration", was organised in the city on March 17 by the municipal
Party Committee, People's Committee, and Fatherland Front Committee to
open the 40th anniversary celebrations of the liberation of the south
and the country’s reunification.

Most of the attendees as well as
the 125 reports tabled at the seminar focused on the city's role as the
nation's economic, cultural, educational, scientific, and technological
centre and a hub for international exchanges and global integration.

Le
Thanh Hai, Politburo member and Secretary of the city Party Committee,
said the current happiness and wealth of the people were attributable to
people who fought for more than a century against invaders and spent 40
years building and protecting the country.

Delegates agreed that
HCM City has contributed much to shaping the nation's renewal policy
and, in the last 40 years, faced many difficulties and challenges in the
fight against economic exhaustion and hunger.

For the last 40
years the city's achievements contributed to the region and country,
confirming its centrality to the country, they said.

Hai said following its rapid economic growth the city contributed 30 percent of the Government's revenues.

"In the past 40 years the city faced harsh challenges in fighting backwardness to create something new."

But
in comparison with other places in the neighbourhood, the city still
faces shortcomings like low competitiveness, flooding, traffic
congestion and accidents, overloading at hospitals, and lack of food
safety, he admitted.

In her opening speech, Nguyen Thi Quyet Tam,
Deputy Secretary of the city Party Committee and Chairwoman of the
People's Council, said the seminar is to underscore the city's
contributions to the nation's development.

The reports tabled at the seminar are set to be collected and published as a book.-VNA